Tensions between the United States and Iran have intensified sharply, with senior officials and analysts warning that a major military confrontation could break out within days and potentially continue for weeks, even as diplomatic negotiations remain ongoing, US-based news agency Axios reported.
Axios cited former Israeli Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin, who said on Wednesday that the chances of conflict have increased significantly.
“Last week I allowed myself to fly to the Munich Security Conference. I would think twice about flying [abroad from Israel] this weekend,” he told Channel 12, speaking a day after the second round of nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran in Geneva.
“We are much closer than we were before, but I remind you — a superpower does not go to war in a matter of days. There is a diplomatic path that must be exhausted,” Yadlin said.
He added that while “many oppose the attack” and “the Pentagon is not clear what they want it to achieve,” the US president appears determined.
“The statement that all options are on the table is based on a credible military threat, which comes alongside the preparations off the coast of Iran and in the skies.”
According to Axios, US officials believe that if military action begins, it would not be limited or symbolic but could instead involve a sustained campaign lasting several weeks. A White House official was quoted as estimating a 90 percent chance of a strike in the coming weeks.
A senior adviser to US President Donald Trump said Trump “is getting fed up.” While some advisers are urging caution, the official added, “Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is a 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.”
The report said any military operation would likely involve coordination with Israel and could exceed the scale of last year’s 12-day Israeli-led bombing campaign targeting Iranian facilities.
Israeli officials have also indicated preparations for possible hostilities. Two officials told Axios that Israel is preparing for war to begin “within days” and is advocating for an operation that could threaten Iran’s ruling regime.
Likud lawmaker Boaz Bismuth, who chairs the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said Israel is facing “challenging days.”
“There is no citizen of Israel who doesn’t ask himself several times a day ‘when will the Iran conflict happen?’” he said, adding that both the public and authorities are preparing for multiple scenarios.
Explosions Heard Near Tehran
The latest concerns over a potential conflict come after a fire broke out Wednesday in Parand, Tehran province, sending thick smoke into the air, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported.
Videos circulating on social media showed a large plume of dark smoke rising above the area. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.
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State media later quoted the Parand Fire Department as saying the smoke was caused by reeds burning along the riverbank. Firefighters were deployed and efforts to extinguish the blaze were underway.
Diplomatic Efforts Continue Despite Rising Tensions
Despite escalating rhetoric, diplomatic engagement remains ongoing. Iran said after Tuesday’s Geneva talks that both sides had agreed on “guiding principles” aimed at avoiding conflict.
However, US Vice President JD Vance said Tehran had not yet accepted all of Washington’s red lines. Speaking to Fox News, he said discussions had gone “well” in some respects, but added, “in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright also reinforced Washington’s position, warning that the United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“They’ve been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It’s entirely unacceptable,” he said in Paris during meetings linked to the International Atomic Energy Agency. “So one way or the other, we are going to end, deter Iran’s march towards a nuclear weapon.”
US Deploys Military Assets to Middle East
Open-source flight tracking data indicated that dozens of US fighter jets, including F-22s, F-35s, and F-16s, along with refuelling aircraft, have been moving toward the Middle East.
At the same time, Iranian media reported that Tehran and Russia will conduct joint naval drills in the Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have also launched exercises in the Strait of Hormuz.
The rapid military build-up by both sides has heightened concerns that the region could be approaching a broader war with potentially significant consequences.
